Songs of the Keyblade
by IridiumRing92
Summary: A collection of Kingdom Hearts-based one-shots, inspired by my music. Note: They're really random! R&R! #6: Paradise. "In the dream, she stood near the water, watching the sun set. But as she stared, shadows began to form in the sky, blotting out the sun and tearing at the horizon in front of her. In the end, Riku and Sora vanished into the darkness. Naminé was left alone."
1. Closing In

**Title:** Closing In

**Song: **Closing In by Imogen Heap

**Lyrics:** _I can't wait to be with you / No I just can't sit still, are we there yet?_

_Takes me back, I remember / Such a magical place, it was all you_

_Closing in, I hope that you make it / Closing in, I hope that you find your way…_

**Pairings: **Nothing really obvious, but...

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Kingdom Hearts. Or the song.

**A/N: **So, right now I'm on spring break, and I'm kind of bored, so... Every day I randomize my music playlist and see what comes up, and then I write a fanfic about it. They're getting really random. I'm starting with one of the less... um... strange ones. Hehehe. :3

* * *

**Closing In**

He missed Axel.

Time froze as he walked to the train station, as he turned back to watch the others run after him. His eyes scanned the faces of his pursuers, half hoping the red-haired man would be among them. But there was no sign of him.

Roxas turned back and put one foot on the edge of the platform.

There were just seconds before the doors would burst open, before they would rush at him and demand that he comply—that he follow them back to wherever it was they wanted him to go. He hadn't realized it until now, but the only one he wanted to follow back was Axel.

Sometime while running from them, he had remembered how he _felt_.

_Nobodies cannot feel,_ DiZ had said. _They have no hearts. They do not deserve to exist. They were not ever meant to exist in the first place._

And Axel—_You're the only one who ever made me feel like I had a heart, Roxas._

Taking a deep breath, Roxas pulled himself into the train car and shut the door just as the station doors swung open and in stepped the familiar silhouettes of the people who had tried to follow him.

Roxas turned his back on them.

* * *

He missed Roxas.

He didn't know how it was possible, but he did. Standing on the clock tower, watching the streets below for movement, he could do nothing but think about Roxas. Roxas, with his golden hair and bright blue eyes.

Axel turned his back on the sight of the setting sun, descending the stairs, wondering where his friend had gone.

Hours had passed since he had first stood on the clock tower. He couldn't stand there any longer, couldn't bear the weight of the thought that the streets below him might stay empty, that he might never see Roxas again.

Where would he have gone?

_I don't know what you're talking about_, Roxas had told him. _I don't know who you are. I'm _leaving!

Closing his eyes, Axel thought about where he would go if he was running away. His first thought was the train station, and as soon as it had crossed his mind his feet were flying over the pavement, carrying him down the streets until he reached the station plaza. But when he reached the door and ripped it open, he saw that he was already too late—the train was leaving.

The cloaked figures turned to face Axel.

* * *

_I hope that you find your way…_

* * *

**A/N: **So, whether you consider this an Akuroku ship is up to you, hahaha.

More of these to come! R&R in the meantime!


	2. One (Your Name)

**Title:** Two

**Song: **One (Your Name) by Swedish House Mafia

**Lyrics:**_I wanna know your name / You just kill me, could you at least do that?  
_

_I wanna know your name / Or better yet, stand there, just do that_

**Pairings: **Somewhat Axel/Marluxia. Beware.

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Kingdom Hearts. Or the song.

**A/N: **So, let me just say beforehand that this is definitely one of the more messed-up chapters. I don't in any way actually ship Axel/Marluxia, but I just thought it fit with the song. Don't blame me. X3 Anyway, have fun.

* * *

**Two**

A point of darkness penetrated the omnipresent white of Castle Oblivion, manifesting into a large dark corridor. Out stepped a red-haired man wearing the black cloak of the Organization. He was whistling tunelessly as he walked down the hall.

Then, behind him, another dark corridor opened. Another man stepped out, but this man broke into a sprint. A huge scythe appeared in his hand, and he drew his arm back, preparing to swing it forward and directly at the red-haired man.

But he spun around right at the last second and blocked, and they stood facing each other—two, both from the Organization, one with pink hair, one with red, weapons locked against each other, eyes flashing.

"Who the hell are you?" the red-haired man asked, raising an eyebrow.

"What do you care?" the second man answered.

They launched into a flurry of attacks and blocks, parries and dodges. When they came to a stalemate again, their weapons clashing between them, they both glared at each other, frozen.

"All right, Mister Ridiculous Hair." The red-haired man grinned. "Go ahead."

"It's Marluxia," the other man said. "And I could say the same for you."

"Mmm… Marluxia. Interesting," the redhead purred. "I'm Axel."

"I didn't ask," Marluxia said.

"How unfortunate." Axel swung his dual weapons, forcing Marluxia to block and step back. The two men flew at each other again, a blur of weapons and black coats.

Then Axel hesitated, leaving himself wide open. The split second was just long enough for Marluxia to go in for the kill. He pinned Axel to the floor, pushing the blade of his scythe against the man's throat and crouching over him.

"I concede," Axel said casually. "Go ahead and end it, if you want. I'd be damned to be killed by a man as attractive as you."

"Don't toy with me!" Marluxia growled. The blade of his scythe dug into the soft skin at Axel's throat, managing to draw blood.

"I'm not kidding," Axel laughed, as well as he could with the blade cutting off his air. "End it. Do it now."

Marluxia just stared him down, holding the scythe in place.

"Better yet," Axel amended, "don't. Just stay right there."

After a second Marluxia rose to his feet, dismissing his scythe. "Fine, you win," he muttered, turning around to leave.

"Oh, hell no. You just cut my throat. Someone definitely won, but it wasn't me." Axel propped himself up on his elbows, staring after the pink-haired man.

Marluxia looked over his shoulder. And he paused. Again.

In the end he came back to Axel, kneeling down on the floor next to him. He traced the side of the redhead's jaw with his hand, moving his fingers all the way to the edge of the wound under his chin.

"You'll live," he diagnosed expressionlessly.

Axel grinned. "Maybe. I dare you to taste the blood," he said.

"I don't know who on earth would do such a thing." The pink-haired man's eyes narrowed, and he stood up.

"You should think about it," Axel suggested. "Come back when you've decided. If I'm not six feet under by then."

"Right," Marluxia sighed. "Whatever you say, Axel."

Axel was still laughing when he left the hallway.

* * *

**A/N: **Don't forget to R&R and tell me if you happen to have a favorite. Or if you just flat-out don't like one of them. I might agree with you, after all. X3


	3. Witchcraft

**Title:** Witchcraft

**Song: **Witchcraft by Pendulum

**Lyrics:**_I'm looking for your hand in the rough / You're caught in the wire_

_Well I'll lift you up…_

_He's coming and she knows it / Even though she knows why_

_Footsteps in the hallway / Girl you haven't got time_

_You gotta get out, go far away…_

_Killer in the hallway / We're living on a set time_

_We gotta get out, go far away…_

**Pairings: **None

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Kingdom Hearts. Or the song.

**A/N: **I don't know, I've always wanted to experiment with the idea of Xion actually leaving Organization XIII, and this song reminded me of it. R&R if you feel like it.

* * *

**Witchcraft**

Xion had curled herself up as tightly as she could in the corner of one of the closets in the house in Traverse Town. The whole house was nearly pitch-black, but this closet was the worst. She couldn't even see her own hand in front of her face. She could hear the sound of her own heartbeat in the air around her, and she hoped that she would hear nothing else, not for a long time.

And for a few minutes, that was how it stayed.

But then she heard the sound of a door being slammed against the wall, followed by a slow and deliberate set of footsteps. "I know you're there," a voice said, "got it memorized?"

The footsteps continued for several seconds, and then the closet door opened. Xion flinched, curling more tightly into her corner.

"Xion, come here. We've gotta get out."

Hearing the voice, she realized it was a different man speaking—not her pursuer.

It was Riku.

She opened one eye slowly and looked at him. "Riku…?" she whispered. "Is that you…?"

"Yeah, it's me. Come on," he repeated. "I'm going to get you out of here." He reached out one hand to her in the darkness, and she took it, standing up.

The voice in the hallway called out again. "Xion, if you don't come out right now," it began, "I'm going to light this whole house on fire."

"We'll be leaving first," Riku's voice muttered. They emerged into the light, free from the darkness of the closet. And sure enough, Riku stood in front of her, his eyes concealed by his usual blindfold. He put his arm around her and led her out of the room.

"He can burn the whole house down if he wants," he told Xion under his breath, "as long as it means you don't go back to the Organization."

Xion nodded. She couldn't speak. There was a tight feeling in her chest, and though she was sure it couldn't possibly be a real feeling, it was overpowering. She held onto Riku as they ran through the hallways of the house, looking for their way out.

There was a window at the end of the hall, and Riku led her to it, sweeping the panes upward and gesturing outward. "I'll go. Then, when you jump, I can catch you."

Again, Xion nodded wordlessly. Riku swung his legs over the windowsill and jumped. Just before Xion did the same, she dared to look back. At the other end of the hallway, Axel stood grasping his chakrams, his eyes wide and his mouth open.

"Get back here!" he shouted.

"Xion!" Riku cried out. "We've gotta go!"

With more speed and precision than she'd ever been able to manage, Xion swung her legs over the windowsill, averting her eyes, losing the gaze of the red-haired member of the Organization.

She was never going back.


	4. Polarized

**Title:** Shadows and Solitude

**Song: **Polarized by Seven Lions

**Lyrics:**_ Shadows of loneliness, creeping inside / Polarized emptiness, no image to hide_

_Figures of solitude, drawn to the light / Crawl through the darkness, return from the night_

**Pairings: **None

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Kingdom Hearts. Or the song.

**A/N:** So I realized that Axel is in all the chapters before this one. Go figure.I know this one doesn't really introduce anything new, haha, but it relates to the song.

* * *

**Shadows and Solitude**

Kairi stood alone in the darkness, her bare feet digging into the soft sand and the tide lapping at her toes. The sun had long since set, and darkness blanketed the islands. Only the stars still peered out from the vast darkness beyond.

She took a step further toward the water, but after a second pulled her foot back. Her eyes strayed to the side, to a place further down the beach, but only shadows and stars greeted her.

Shadows.

Kairi squinted. In the distance she could see the writhing shapes of shadows, small figures with twisted limbs and strange appendages, advancing toward her. Their eyes glowed faintly, a dull yellow color. Kairi could do nothing but stare back.

They circled her, emerging from the ground in front of her, beside her, behind her. She spun around, but her feet could take her nowhere useful. There was nowhere to run and even less space to hide.

She caught a small, dark explosion out of the corner of her eye and saw that several of the shadows off to her left had disappeared. And there, in the center of the space, clearing a path ahead of him, was a brown-haired boy wielding a Keyblade.

"Kairi," he called out. "Hurry."

Kairi shot past the shadows, jerking away from them and falling into Sora's arms. He held his Keyblade out in front of them, warding them off, and put his other hand around her shoulders. She twisted around to catch a glimpse of the shadows again and saw that they were still advancing relentlessly.

"I need you to go, Kairi," Sora whispered. "I have to take care of this on my own."

"I know," Kairi murmured in reply. "I'm sorry."

"Don't be," he reassured her. He released her from his grasp and took a step closer to the shadows.

"What do I do?" she said, her voice so soft she almost didn't hear it.

Sora sliced the first shadow with his Keyblade. It vanished into a cloud of dust, and he turned around to face her, still gripping the blade in his hands. "Run," he told her. "You remember the way back to our spot… Right?"

Kairi nodded. Then, though her throat felt so tight she could hardly breathe, she asked him, "What _are_ they?"

At first Sora was too busy fighting off the shadows to respond. But he stepped back, keeping a safer distance between him and the darkness, and replied over his shoulder: "Heartless."

Kairi watched him fight against the shadows—the Heartless—for just a moment longer, and then she dashed off into the other part of the darkness, the one that lay before her in a familiar expanse of trees and pathways and buildings. She knew the way.

The loneliness of the island beyond, in the darkness, was overwhelming.


	5. Sweet Nothing

**Title:** Sweet Nothing

**Song: **Sweet Nothing by Calvin Harris

**Lyrics: **_And it's hard to learn / And it's hard to love / When you're giving me such sweet nothing..._

_It isn't easy for me to let it go / Cause I've swallowed every single word_

_And every whisper, every sigh / Eats away at this heart of mine_

_And there is a hollow in me now_

**Pairings: **Axel/Xion. Ish.

**Disclaimer:** I really don't own Kingdom Hearts. Or the song.

**A/N: **Um... the next chapter. I don't even really know what to say about it. Except maybe R&R. Well, definitely R&R. :3

* * *

**Sweet Nothing**

She was tired of watching everybody else.

She had long grown tired of going to all of the worlds where everyone else had a heart. She'd asked question after question about Kingdom Hearts about what would happen when they completed it, what that meant for her. She'd spent day after day sitting alone wondering what having a heart was like.

And Xion still felt empty.

That day she stood in the streets of Twilight Town, Keyblade in hand, having defeated the target for her mission. She stared at the winding path of orange brick in front of her, lost in thought again.

Then the unmistakable sound of footsteps echoed behind her, and she turned to see a tall, thin member of the Organization standing around the corner, the hood of his cloak pulled up. He pulled the hood away from his face when he saw her looking, revealing that he was Axel.

"Xion, what do you think you're doing?" he asked, his voice half whisper and half command.

Xion paused; her lips parted as she searched for words to explain her predicament. She didn't want to have to explain everything to Axel, yet she didn't want to keep him in the dark.

But Axel spoke again before she could answer. "Saïx complains about how you're never back from missions on time, and when I come out here to see if you're okay, you're just standing here staring at nothing."

She sighed, murmuring, "I was just… making sure the target was gone." Still, though, her mind was stuck on another phrase.

_I came out here to see if you're okay…_

Xion felt the numbing sensation she got whenever she thought about having a heart, and she put one hand on her chest, looking down absently again. Spontaneously, she decided to tell him.

"I just keep wondering what it's like for all these other people," Xion whispered. "What it's like to have a heart."

He ran a hand through his hair and looked off to the side, and despite the hollow feeling that had overtaken her, she couldn't help but think he looked somehow alluring that way, even with that foreign expression taking over his face.

"The harder we work, the faster we'll know," he said, repeating what they had always told her about Kingdom Hearts. She was never so sure. "But you know, you remember what it's like to have a heart, right? I think that's all you need."

"What do you…?"

Xion didn't even have time to finish her question; his hands wrapped around her wrists, and he pulled her against him.

"Even though they say we're nothing, I think if we become one with Kingdom Hearts, we'll someday amount to _something_," Axel whispered to her.

She simply leaned against him, trying not to shoulder the weight of repeated words.


	6. Paradise

**Title:** Lost Paradise

**Song: **Paradise by Coldplay

**Lyrics: **_When she was just a girl, she expected the world_

_But it flew away from her reach, so she ran away in her sleep_

_And dreamed of paradise, every time she closed her eyes…_

_Life goes on, it gets so heavy, the wheel breaks the butterfly_

_Every tear a waterfall, in the night, the stormy night, she closed her eyes_

**Pairings: **None really.

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Kingdom Hearts... Or the song... yeah.

**A/N: **I love this song, and when I heard it I couldn't help but think of Namine. The ending is a little abstract, but... now you can interpret it how you want, haha. XD

* * *

**Lost Paradise**

Naminé couldn't sleep.

She found herself wandering the dark, empty hallways of Castle Oblivion again. It felt like her thousandth night here, awake in the late hours of the night, and she was exhausted. But she knew that if she went back to sleep, she wouldn't want to wake up again.

Naminé had woken up to the same dream again just hours ago. She had dreamed of a world where she could leave the white walls of Castle Oblivion and set foot in soft, warm sand, where she could look out at the ocean from where she stood, where she could have Sora and Riku to herself, as real friends.

But she knew that could never happen, and that was why she woke up with tears in her eyes every time.

She stopped, facing the door to the room where she knew Sora must be. She pressed her hand against the smooth white surface as she thought of him and all he'd done for her. Even after she'd changed his memories, he had still forgiven her, even _believed _in her. Naminé sensed that his real feelings for her were misdirected, but she wanted to think that they were real.

Squeezing her eyes shut, Naminé closed her fist around the door handle and jerked it open. She opened her eyes to see that on the other side was the island from her dream. But this island was from the second part of her dream, the part she hardly dared to remember.

In the dream, she stood near the water, watching the sun set. But as she stared, shadows began to form in the sky, blotting out the sun and tearing at the horizon in front of her. Riku and Sora, who were standing next to her, looked around to see what was going on, but in the end they couldn't fight it any more than she could. They vanished into the darkness, and Naminé was left alone.

She couldn't even find the strength to scream. She could only stare at the advancing darkness, turning around and around with horror, until she finally collapsed to her knees.

That was what this island, the one behind Castle Oblivion's door, looked like. And Sora stood in the center of it all, somehow still whole.

Then Naminé's feet were carrying her forward, through the wind and the shadows, to him. She shouted to him, called his name. He didn't react.

Naminé stood in front of him, her hands on his shoulders, her eyes meeting his, and that was when he snapped out of his trance. "Naminé?" he asked, his voice an incredulous whisper.

"Sora," Naminé gasped. Tears filled her eyes, and she blinked them away. "Take me… away from here."

He reached out and folded her against him. "What do you mean?" he whispered.

"This is a dream," she told him. "Which means…"

"I have to… wake up?" Sora finished for her.

"Together," Naminé said.

She closed her eyes.


End file.
